CLAY FEST 2021 (6th Annual)
Since the beginning of my career as a photographer, I can proudly say that I’ve covered over 70 events, and still counting. This past weekend, I attended Clay Fest 2021 and really enjoyed covering it. This event was not only free and open to the public, but there were a lot of hands-on activities for families, and those of all ages, to partake in. It was undoubtedly something that the community needed during this time as we’re still facing the COVID-19 pandemic.
The moment I arrived at Clay Fest, I was welcomed with open arms by The Clay Studio's Chief Operating Officer Ms. Josie Bockelman. So, I went ahead and asked to interview her first. From our conversation, I could tell that Ms. Bockelman was very passionate about what she does. She was so excited to talk about The Clay Studio’s new location, where Clay Fest was actually being held. She mentioned that the building will be finished in late November or December, and that they will be hosting a big event for its grand opening. After Ms. Bockelman raved on, I asked her, “What makes Clay Fest a great experience for the children? And suddenly, she lit up with even more excitement, stating, “Clay Fest shows them the wonders behind creating with your own two hands, along with giving them the chance to feel clay in between their fingers. It’s just a beautiful experience for them.” As we closed out our interview, Ms. Bockelman gladly told me that the first Clay Fest began in 2015 and has been growing stronger ever since, bringing more guest artists out to showcase their talents.
After Ms. Bockelman’s kind introduction, I interviewed muralist Cesar Viveros. Born and raised in Mexico, his first encounter with clay was at the young age of 5 years old. Viveros said that he used to go out and play with mud because it shares a similar texture and properties with clay (but, there is a difference between the two). Having said that, I was immediately enlightened by his words because I always thought that mud was just watered-down rock. Nonetheless, Viveros began to explain his project to everyone present at his booth, then he encouraged them to contribute to his large-scale turtle piece. While doing so, he spoke about the mythology of turtles, and asked me if I was familiar with the idea of the world being carried on the back of the turtle. I told him no, then he went on, saying that this concept had been around for years. As we wrapped up our interview, he left me with these last words: “Kids have to be a part of something as wonderful as clay. It brings people together.”
Next, I interviewed screen print artist Hope Rovelto, also owner of Little Chair Printing. As I began to interview her, she immediately talked about how excited she was to teach others the process of screen printing. And in fact, she feels that it’s not just something that is creative, but it’s also a great skill that people should learn. As a screen print artist, Rovelto runs a traveling pop-up screen-printing business, attending events all over whenever she is booked. Furthermore, she was born and raised in Philadelphia, but has branched out to Maine. When I asked her why do most Philadelphia artists leave our city with their awesome talents, she told me that she believes some do this in order to learn more about their craft, but also to find different opportunities to enhance it. This was something I needed to hear as an artist myself, still trying to build up my photography and my businesses. Rovelto then said to me, “Sometimes as an artist you get discouraged and you have those moments where you want to give up, but you have to keep pushing for your dreams because no one else can for you.” She also gave me some words of encouragement, letting me know that I’m on the right path with running my second business called Strike & Keo Tees.
After hearing Rovelto’s encouraging words, I interviewed The Clay Studio's Community Engagement Assistant Nitza Rosario. She was initially a student at The Clay Studio in the 80‘s, taking lessons and learning as much as she could about the art of ceramics. And eventually, she worked her way up into becoming an official staff member. Rosario pointed out to me that there aren’t a lot of brown hands in the beautiful craft of ceramics, and that she wants to pave the way for those hands to show them that they can do it just like her. She further explained that she has no degree in the field and has only used her talent to get to where she is today, stating, “Going to college isn’t for everybody, but you can do something with yourself if you put the time in.” I then asked Rosario what exactly does she do at her booth. She then said that she makes handmade necklaces, stating, “It's fun to show everyone of all ages how to make them and it’s a fun way to bring people together because God knows the city of Philadelphia needs a lot of healing. The major thing that clay does is heal people. I’ve seen it work with my very own eyes. This is another wonderful thing about working with clay.”
The last artist that I interviewed was ceramicist George Rodriguez from El Paso, Texas. The first thing I noticed about his work was how it brought out laughter from those that viewed it, which I think that’s actually what made it stand out. As we spoke during our interview, Rodriguez told me that, "Many ceramic artists have many different ways to craft, and it's more of a feeling in your hand; everyone has a hand method that can be hard to explain." He also shared that he did a lot of traveling with his work, which allowed him to hone his craft. Rodriguez used his booth to showcase his crafting on the spot, with no idea or direction, trying to come up with something that he has never created before. He also allowed people to create their own pieces to add on to his large-scale ceramic project. From what I was able to see, it looked like it was going to turn out great. But, I didn’t get a chance to stick around to see the end result.
In spite of not being able to stay until the end of Clay Fest, I can honestly say that I had a great time! I really enjoyed the atmosphere and seeing everyone with their families and friends together. But most of all, I learned so much about the wonderful artists at this event, and I’m grateful for their advice and the encouragement that they happily shared with me. Because of them, it makes me want to push harder for my dreams the same as they did (and still do)! They didn’t let anything stop them, and I won’t either! And I hope that this blog will be an inspiration for my viewers out there who are artists as well! If you would like to check out these Clay Fest artists’ work, feel free to click on their links below!
Ms. Josie Bockelman:
Chief Operating Officer
Email: josie@theclaystudio.org
Cesar Viveros:
Hope Rovelto:
Nitza Rosario:
George Rodriguez:
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